Vacuum cleaning system



Jul '23,194 .5 B LE 2,404,358

VACUUM CLEANING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 10, 1941 INVENTOR.

Wm. TL'R f. 5/5:

Patented July 23, 1946 VACUUM CLEANING SYSTEM Walter E. Bible, Denver, 0010., assignor, by mesne assigmnents, to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 10, 1941, Serial No. 378,236

This invention relates to vacuum cleaning systems and more particularly to methods for cleaning the filter medium of a vacuum cleaning system to remove accumulated debris which interferes with the passage of the air.

In the usual vacuum cleaning apparatus, a fabric bag or drum is employed to remove foreign particles from the incoming air stream. The pores or interstices ofthe fabric quickly become clogged with dust and lint which creates a back pressure on the blower and greatly reduces the effective suction of the cleaner. The only provision usually made for cleaning the bag is to allow its removal for dumping purposes. Such a procedure only removes the loose coarse dirt and the filter medium itself remains clogged with debris. I

The principal object of this improved system is to provide means for completely cleaning the filter medium by the reversal of the flow of air therethrough so that all particles will be blown from place in the filtering fabric; to combine mechanical cleaning with air cleaning of the filter medium; and to accomplish all of the above within the system or machine by the use of the regular vacuum blower without removal of the filtering devices.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description..

In the following detailed description of the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing. and throughout the description.

All of the views of the drawing are simply diagrammatic views in which the details of construction have been omitted. These details are well within the skill of anyone familiar with the art.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 illustrates one form of the improved system as it would operate when in use;

Fig. 2 isa similar diagram illustrating the operation of cleaning the filtering drum of the system of Fig. 1;, r

Fig. 3 illustrates an alternate form of the system as it would operate when in use;

Fig. 4 illustrates the method of cleaning the filter medium of the form of Fig. 3.

The first two methods illustrated employ the reverse air principle combinedwith agitation of the filter medium for cleaning the latter. In

14 Claims. (01. 18357) Figs. 1 and 2 a blower is indicated diagrammatically at In with its suction conduit at H and dis.- charge conduit at l2, The suction conduitll leads from a depending axial position within a cyclone or whirl chamber l3 in the bottom of which is a debris collecting receptacleor dust pan M. A suction nipple I5 enters tangentially into the whirl chamber and the air to be cleaned is conducted to the nipple I5 by means of a flexible hose l6 froma cleaner nozzle H or in any other desired manner.

The discharge conduit terminates in a filter chamber l8 having a fabric filtering wall l9 through which the air discharges. A hollow an.- nular or circular filter cleaning device 1s ,posi tioned within the fabric wall upon the lower ex: tremity of a vertically movable tube 2 l which is I normally closed by a cap 23. The upper edge of the device 20 constantly contacts the fabric wall and the lower edge is inset therefrom and between the two edges is an open slot 22.

When in use the. incoming ail whirls in the whirl chamber l3 and drops the major portion of its suspended debris into the dust pan I l. Some of the lighter particles, will be carried over to the filter chamber l8 where they will be filtered out as the air exits through the filter medium I9.

When it is desiredto clean the filter, the nozzle 11 is removed and the suction extremity of the hose I6 is connected to the upperextremity of the tube 2|, as shown in Fig. 2 to create a vacuum within the filter cleaning device 20. The device 29 is manually lifted and lowered in the chamber by means of the tube 2!. The device acts as a dividing partition to maintain a pressure in the upper portion of the filter chamber and a partial vacuum in the lower portion. Thus as the device is moved up and down the filter medium is alternately subjected to a blowing action and a sucking action in addition to a mechanical rubbing which quickly and thoroughly removes the .impacted dirt therefrom- The removed dirt is drawn through the tube 2| and the hose It to the whirl chamber where, due to its packed accumulated condition, it is dropped into the dust pan M with the previously accumulated debris. The

hose is then removed from the tube 2|, the cap 23 replaced and the system is again ready for use.

In Figs. 3 and 4 an alternate method of accomplishing the same results is illustrated. In this form the same blower,-whirl chamberysuction hose, etc. are employed as in the previous form.

In this form, however, a fabric filter wall 24 surrounds a filter chamber which is divided by means of a horizontal partition plate 25 into an upper compartment 26' and a lower compartment 27. The discharge conduit of the blower extends downwardly through the plate 25 into both compartments and a suction tube 28 extends upwardly through both compartments. Both the discharge conduit and the tube 28 are provided with ports 29 in both compartments and ,both are provided with rotatable valve sleeves 30 having ports 31 the rotation of which opens the ports 29in either compartment as desired.

a When in use the valve sleeve on the discharge dislodge foreign material and beingvariable and conduit is so positioned that its ports'are open" to 'both compartments so that the incoming air enters both compartments anddischar'ges uniformly through the fabric filter wall 24. When it is desired to clean the fabric, the suction hose is attached to the top of the'tube 28 and the blower started. The sleeve valves are then rotated to place the two compartments alternately under suction and compression. For instance in solid line in Fig. 4' the upper compartment is.

under compression from the blower discharge conduit and the lower compartment is under par-. tial vacuum from the tube. I are now rotated to reverse this condition as shown in broken line in Fig. 4 so that the filter fabric is alternately subjected to vibration and-to oppositely moving air blasts which quickly looseri and carry away the accumulated dirt and deposit 4 it in the dust pan of the whirl chamber.

, While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein; it is de sired to b understood that the sam may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims,

without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus describedthe invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patentis:

1. A method of cleaning the porous'wall of a filter chamber of a-vacuum cleaning system comprising: passing air through a portion of said wall in one direction while simultaneously passing air through the remainder of said wall in the opposite direction, then simultaneously reversing the flow of air through the saidportion and the said remainder of said wall.

beingdetermined by the movement of a dividing member along said wall.

6. .In a vacuum cleaner of the type-comprising:

a whirl chamber, means for collecting debris at a the bottom of said whirl chamber, means for in- The valve sleeves troducing dust-laden air tangentially into said Whirl chamber to centrifugally deposit a portion of the dust therein, and a motor operated blower positioned to withdraw air from said whirl chamber; a filter chamber including top and bottom walls and an air-pervious wall therebetween, a movable partition member enclosed by the airpervious wall of said filter chamber to divide the latter into two compartments the sizeof which varies upon movement of said partition member,

2. The method of cleaning theporous flexible 7 wall of a continuously operating filter chamber comprising: moving dirt-laden air through a part of the wall sufficient in extent as to be flexible to deflect it in one. direction and moving clean air through an adjacent part of the wall suflicient in extent as to be flexible to dislodge collected foreign material and to deflect it in the opposite direction, and reversing the direction of air flow through a portion of said wall to cause that por-:

tion to reverse its direction of deflection.

' 3. 'In a suction cleaner,.a porous filter, a filtercleaning nozzle movable over said filter and formed as an air passageway with spaced convex "a whirl chamber, means for collecting debris at lips defining a mouth at its end, one of said lips.

being extended further toward'said'filterthan the other'lip, 'means mountin said nozzle for movement along said filter,and suction-creating means to draw air through said nozzle.

4. In a suction cleaner, a cylindrical filter chamber having a porous side wall, a nozzle movable longitudinally of said chamber in con- 1 tact with said'filter and having an external periphery'conforming to said chamber, said nozzle being formed with an'inlet around its periphery,

said inlet being formed by spaced'convex lips one of Which extends outwardly beyond the other in order to eiiect a bending in the filter su face Wh means to conductair-under pressure to one of said compartments, and means to conduct 'air from the other of whirl chamber. I r

7. In a vacuumcleaner of the type comprising: a whirl chamber; means for collecting debris at the bottom of said whirl chamber, means for introducing dust-laden air tangentially into said whirl chamber to centrifugally deposit'a portion of the dust'therein, a motor operated blower positioned to withdraw air from said whirl chamber; a filter chamber including top and bottom,

walls and an air-perviou's walltherebetween, a hollow partition member surrounded'by the'said air-pervious wall to divide the filter chamber into two compartments, means to connect said partition member to said whirl'chamber for maintaining a partial vacuum Iin'one compartment, means to connect the other compartment to the pressure exhaust of said blower, and means operable from the exterior of said filter chamber for moving said partition member relative to said 'air-pervious wall. j V

8. 111:2. vacuum cleaner of'the'type comprisingi the bottom of said whirl chamber, means for introducing dust-laden air tangentially into. said whirl Chamber to centrifugally deposit a portion of the dust therein, and a motor-operated blower positioned to withdraw air from said whirl chamber; a filter chamber including end'walls and'an air-pervious wall therebetween, a hollow partition member surrounded by the air-pervious wall to divide the filter chamber into two compartmerits, said partition member having aslot'around its peripheral edge opening to its hollow interior and to one of said compartments, means adapted to connect the interior of said partition member to said whirl chamber'to return air from said one compartment to said whirl chamber, and airconducting means adapted to connect the other compartment to said blower to receiv air from said whirl chamber. I

9. .In a vacuum cleaner of the type comprising: a whirl chamber, means for collecting debris at the bottom of said whirl chamber, means for introducing dust-laden air tangentially intosaid whirl chamber to centrifugallydeposit a portion of the dust therein, and a motor-operated blower said compartments to said positioned to withdraw air from said whirl chamber; a filter chamber having end walls and an air-pervious wall therebetween, a hollow partition member surrounded by the air-pervious wall to divide the filter chamber into two compartments, said partition member having an open slot around its peripheral edge, said partition member extending further toward said wall on one side of said slot than on the other side thereof said side of greatest extension forming the principal seal between said two compartments, and air-conducting means adapted to connect the interior of said partition member to said whirl chamber, and air-conducting means to connect'th compartment adjacent said principal seal to said blower.

10. In a suction cleaner, a dirt separator including a flexible air-pervious wall, a movable partition member in said separator mounted for movement along said wall and dividing said separator into two compartments, said partition member being formed as an air conduct and having a surface-contacting suction mouth in contact with said wall, said mouth being formed by lips one of which extends further toward said wall than the other lip, means to conduct dirt-carrying air into the compartment formed by said partition member located nearest the first-mentioned lip, and means to connect said partition member to a source of suction to draw air therethrough and to create a reduced pressure in the remaining compartment.

11. In a suction cleaner, a continuously operating dirt separator including a flexible air-pervious filter wall, means to deliver dirt-carrying air to one end of said separator, means to convey air from said separator at a point spaced from said first-mentioned means, and manually operable valve means cooperating with said afore-mentioned means to reverse the flow of .air into said separator at said one end and at the point spaced therefrom to dislodge adhering foreign material.

12. In a suction cleaner, a continuously operating dirt separator inclduding a flexible air-pervious filter wall, means to deliver dirt-carrying air to one end of said separator, means to convey air from said separator at a point spaced from said first-mentioned means and including a filterwall-contacting seal member movable therealong dividing said separator into two parts and separating the air at high pressure from the air at low pressure, the movement of said seal member along said wall effecting a change in the area and curvature of said wall exposed to said air at high and low pressure and effecting the dislodgment of adhering dirt from said wall by the flexure thereof.

13. The method of cleaning the porous flexible wall of a continuously operating filter chamber comprising: forcing dirt-laden air under pressure through a portion of said wall to deflect it in one direction and drawing clean air through an adjacent portion of said wall of suflicient extent as to be flexible in order to deflect it in the opposite direction and quickly reversing the direction of the flow of air through said first-mentioned portion to deflect it in the opposite direction to dislodge adherent foreign material.

14. The method described in the preceding claim characterized in that the reversal of the direction of the flow of the air is simultaneously accompanied by a change in the total area of the porous wall through which air is drawn.

WALTER E. BIBLE. 

